The present invention relates in general to powered toy airplanes, and in particular to a new and useful launcher particularly for windup airplanes, which incorporates a winder mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,976,644 issued to the inventor of the present application, discloses a toy missile which incorporates a rubberband powered launcher. The missile which is advantageously in the form of an airplane, has a rear portion carrying wings and a tail section, and a forward portion which is separable from the rear portion. A plurality of rubberbands are engaged around hooks on the front and rear portions to hold the two portions of the airplane to each other. A bore extends completely to the rear portion of the aeroplane and extends as a blind bore into the forward section of the airplane. A launcher in the form of a handle, trigger and guide rod are used in conjunction with the airplane. To launch the airplane, the rod is inserted through the bore of the rear section and engaged into the blind bore of the front section. The rear section is then pulled rearwardly until it reaches a hook connected to the trigger. The separation between front and rear sections of the airplane stretch the rubberbands and prepare the airplane for launch. By pulling the trigger, the rear section is released and rapidly slides along the rod until it engages the front section. The forward momentum of the rear section then launches the entire airplane, including its front section, off the rod and into flight. The airplane may also include an onboard jet assist unit for lengthening the flight.
Prop-driven rubberband powered toy airplanes are also known. The prop is manually rotated to twist the rubberband which stores potential energy. Generally, the prop is released at the same time the airplane is thrown into the air to add some boost to the trust of the rotating prop. Although effective, this system is wasteful of the very limited energy which can be stored by the rubberband motor in that the propeller usually turns multiple times before the airplane is launched, thus losing the higher energy of the rubberband motor which is available in the first instant after the prop is released.
German Patent 516,945, dated Jan. 15, 1931, discloses a toy airplane launcher in the form of a spring loaded catapult. The propeller of the airplane is well clear of the catapult ramp, however, and it would spin even before the airplane is launched, thus losing much of its energy.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,731,769 discloses a propeller driven toy airplane with a rear battery operated winder on a launching platform having locking means for holding the toy airplane on the launcher until the propeller is spinning at a high enough speed for flight. There is no indication that the propeller should be powered by an onboard rubberband which is wound up, but rather rotation of the propeller is through a flywheel effect only.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,816 discloses a rubberband powered rear propeller flying toy which has no launching ramp but which can be wound up from the front. There is no indication that the propeller should be held against a launching guide during its launching operation, to maintain a full powered state until the flying toy is airborne. Before taking off, the flying toy of U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,816 has its propeller engaged against the ground. This will only momentarily restrain the propeller, however, and the flying toy will not be airborne until much energy from the wound rubberband has been lost.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,139 discloses the use of an onboard rechargeable battery in a toy airplane. No propeller restraining mechanism or launching structure is disclosed.
A need remains for a winding plus launching arrangement for toy airplanes, whether they are battery powered or rubberband powered, which launches the airplane into flight with force and in the correct direction, while minimizing loss of limited onboard energy for spinning the propeller.